Trocaire College can be your leading source for experts who can offer up timely insight and expertise. We’ve conducted dozens of interviews for both local and national publications because we have knowledgeable administration, faculty and staff members who can speak to a number of topics, such as trends in higher education and the career fields of healthcare, business and technology.

Please refer to this Media Guide, which acts as a helpful resource for reporters, editors and newsrooms. The guide helps identify the “go-to” person at Trocaire College who can help bring context, clarity and credibility to various higher education and industry topics.

To get in touch with any of our experts, please contact Laura E. Jacobs, Vice President, e3communications at Ljacobs@e3communications.com or 716.854.8182.

MEDIA GUIDE

ADMINISTRATION Business and Higher Education Trends

BASSAM M. DEEB, Ph.D. President

Dr. Bassam Deeb is an experienced higher education administrator, with previous leadership experience in student services, academic affairs, enrollment management and student life. He has also taught in academic areas including education, counseling, special education and geography. Bassam is on the board of directors for the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and the Conference for Mercy Higher Education and is a member of the Western New York Consortium for Higher Education. He can speak on higher education trends, healthcare and career-focused education and non-traditional student populations.

MOLLIE BALLARO, MS Interim Chief Enrollment Officer

Mollie Ballaro has 20 years of experience in college admissions at three different private WNY institutions. She oversees and can speak on all aspects of enrollment management at Trocaire, including strategic planning for new student recruitment and admission.

DIANA CIVELLO, MA Executive Director, Advancement

Dianna Civello’s career spans four decades as an educator and fundraising leader. Her expertise in capital campaign fundraising, donor engagement and stewardship is key to the college’s strategic goal of increasing endowed scholarship funds. Dianna is a longtime member of the Western New York Planned Giving Consortium and can speak on incorporating deferred gifts into campaign goals as well as all aspects of developing fundraising strategies and constituent programming.

MEDIA GUIDE

ALLYSON LOWE, Ph.D. Vice President, Academic Affairs

Dr. Allyson Lowe oversees Trocaire’s academic programs, faculty, and teaching and learning center. A political scientist and former Fulbright scholar, her research and teaching expertise are in international affairs and women in politics. Allyson can speak on elections, world politics (especially the European Union), marginalized populations and trends and current issues in higher education. Having relocated to the Buffalo area from Pittsburgh, Allyson can also speak on trends in development and comparisons between the two Rust Belt cities and their trajectories of revitalization.

JACQUELINE MATHENY, MS Special Assistant to the President for External Affairs

Jacqueline Matheny has 30+ years of experience in higher education, specifically in the enrollment management area. She oversees the marketing department, strategic initiatives involving current and future partners and enhancing Trocaire’s role in the community at large.

RICHARD T. LINN, Ph.D. Senior Vice President

Dr. Richard Linn is an experienced college administrator, licensed psychologist, researcher and author of peer-reviewed publications, primarily in the healthcare arena. He can speak on higher education topics including accreditation, administration, program development and regulatory trends; on topics in neuropsychology including dementia, head trauma, learning disabilities and functional ability; and on healthcare topics including quality measurement and patient outcomes.

MICHAEL CUCINOTTA, CPA, MBA Vice President, Finance

Michael Cucinotta has held leadership roles in finance and accounting for over 30 years, including nearly two decades as director of financial services at Linde PLC, the world’s largest industrial gases company. His specialties include organizational leadership, mergers, compliance, strategic planning and financial reporting.

MEDIA GUIDE

KATHLEEN SAUNDERS, MS Chief Student Affairs Officer

Kathleen Saunders has worked in higher education for 32 years. Though the majority of her career has been spent in the functional areas of enrollment and student affairs, Kathleen’s strengths are affecting organizational change and process development. She can speak on topics of enrollment management, career development, student services and program development.

GARY SMITH, Ed.D. Vice President, Innovation and Workforce Development

Dr. Gary Smith has more than 25 years of academic experience as a faculty member, researcher and administrator. He has served as an elected public official with experience in municipal finance, public utilities and capital project management. Named a Fulbright specialist, he has published work on Chinese business and culture. Gary can speak on subjects including entrepreneurship, leadership and international and domestic higher education.

JAMES POULOS, MS Assistant Vice President, Technology and Information Services

James Poulos oversees the continued development of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment throughout Trocaire College. He has held leadership positions in the information technology industry for more than 15 years and has a strong background in data management and governance, information security, network infrastructure and operations and application management.

JAN PETERS, MS, SPHR Chief Human Resources Officer

Jan Peters has 20+ years global human resources leadership experience within organizations in all phases of the business cycle and within multiple industries, including financial services, management consulting, manufacturing, information technology services, tourism and hospitality and higher education. Prior to transitioning her human resources career, she served 10 years as a communications officer within the US Army and is a Desert Storm veteran. Jan can share her expertise with employee relations, organization culture transformation, performance management, total rewards, staffing and employee career development.

MEDIA GUIDE

JENNIFER BLICKWEDEHL, PH.D. Associate Dean for Curriculum and Instruction Director, General Studies and Medical Assisting

Dr. Jennifer Blickwedehl has worked in higher education for 10 years and currently oversees Trocaire’s Arts and Sciences division. As a former biology professor, her teaching expertise is in deconstruction of complex biological systems and educational strategies for underprepared students. Jennifer can speak on design and implementation of new programs, effective teaching practices, faculty mentoring and current trends in higher education.

PROGRAM DIRECTORS & DEANS Industry Experts in workforce development, brewing, healthcare, business, hospitality and technology

ERIK COLEMAN Director, Brewing, Distilling and Fermentation Science

Erik Coleman has 18 years of experience in education, both as a teacher in the areas of social studies and special education and in administration as a special education, curriculum and data coordinator. He also has 25+ years in the craft beer/brewing business. He has helped open, operate and consulted for some of the largest breweries in Western New York, such as Ellicottville Brewing Company, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Big Ditch Company and Resurgence Brewing Company. Owner of Beer by Coleman, Erik is also is a board member of the Buffalo Niagara Brewer Association.

GINALYN DAKE, MSN, BSN, RN Director, Practical Nursing and Simulation-based Learning

Ginalyn Dake has been in the nursing field since becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant 20+ years ago, and she has 6 years of experience as a nurse educator. In addition to her roles at Trocaire, she continues to work per diem at Sisters of Charity Hospital of Buffalo in the newborn nursery and NICU. She can speak on most topics associated with nursing, especially those that focus on maternal/newborn/NICU patients.

MEDIA GUIDE

ANN-MARIE JOHN, PH.D, MSN, RN Dean, Catherine McAuley School of Nursing

A seasoned healthcare leader with expertise in diabetes education, Dr. Ann-Marie John has served in a variety of nursing leadership, academic and clinical positions in the New York and Northern Virginia regions. She is an experienced nurse educator and can speak on topics including nursing accreditation, curriculum development/design and review, clinical simulation, online and in-class instruction and health science research.

LINDA KERWIN, Ed.D., CST, RN, MA, MSN Dean, Allied Health and Professions Director, Surgical Technology

A healthcare provider and educator in the greater Western New York area for close to 40 years, Dr. Linda Kerwin is recognized for clinical excellence and has also earned high marks for quality and creative classroom teaching, laboratory simulation, outcomes assessment and curriculum development. Linda oversees the college’s programs in Massage Therapy, Medical Imaging and Surgical Technology. She also serves on both college and community outreach committees regarding healthcare delivery, curriculum development and design, student learning outcomes assessment and laboratory simulation.

CYNTHIA LEFFEL, PH.D, MSN, RN-BC Director, BS in Nursing and Lab-based Learning

Cynthia Leffel has been a nurse for 31 years and nurse educator for more than a decade and holds multiple degrees in nursing education. Her professional specialties included 17 years in long-term care and geriatrics as well as staff education and quality assurance. In addition to her teaching and leadership roles at Trocaire, Cynthia is also a peer reviewer for both Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the New York State Education Department.

JACOB FISHER, MSN, RN Director, AAS Nursing

Jacob Fisher oversees the AAS nursing program, providing day-to-day operational support to faculty, staff, and community partners to ensure a robust, meaningful education. An alumnus of Trocaire, Jacob has been with the institution since 2012 in various roles including student, professional tutor and nursing faculty prior to his new appointment. He has experience with student success, academic supports, simulation, digital learning and faculty development.

JAIME L. WHITE, M.ED., RT (R)(CT)(ARRT) Director, Medical Imaging

Jaime White has been a registered radiologic technologist since 2013 and holds additional certification in computed tomography. She is a member of the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences; the Association of Collegiate Educators in Radiologic Technology; and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. Jaime has a passion for inclusion, diversity and equity, especially within healthcare. She can speak to patient care and safety, exam protocol and procedure and identification of pathology with the field of radiology, as well as curriculum development and design and student learning outcome assessment.

MEDIA GUIDE

FACULTY AND STAFFTrocaire College has many well-educated and talented faculty and staff members who can speak to an eclectic array of topics inside and outside of the classroom and the college. Contact Laura E. Jacobs, Vice President, e3communications at Ljacobs@e3communications.com if you are seeking someone to address a specific academic topic, and we’ll connect you with someone who can assist.

Rev. 3/21

SUSAN SULLIVAN,BS, LMT Director, Massage Therapy

Susan Sullivan has been a massage therapy educator in classroom, clinical and community service settings for 20+ years. She has additional experience as a small business owner and practicing licensed massage therapist, as well as a background in business and finance.

DAN NEVILLE, MS Director, Trocaire Technology Institute

Dan Neville oversees the Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Healthcare Informatics and Computer Network Administration programs at Trocaire. He has nearly 20 years of higher education experience, primarily with adult learners in career and technical education. Prior to that, he had a successful career in IT as a director and head of research and development for a telecommunications firm, resulting in numerous patents in location-based services, database design and interactive voice response systems. Dan is well versed in the characteristics of adult learners, mentoring systems for student retention, certification-based training, flipped classroom and project-based learning approaches and workforce preparation.